Guiding and backing means for automobile trailers



May A. M. WRIGHT I GUIDING AND BACKING MEANS FOR AUTOMOBILE TRAILERS Filed March 22, 1937 s Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS.

M y 23, 1939. A. M. WRIGHT 2,159,721

GUIDING AND BACKING MEANS FOR AUTOMOBILE TRAILERS Filed March 22, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 v) 2; V INVENIOK I EIALFREDCPLWRIGHTE' ATTORNEYS.

May 23, 1939. wm T 2,159,721

' GUIDING AND BACKING MEANS FOR AUTOMOBILE TRAILERS Filed March 22, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VENTOK WRIGHT b ATTORNEY-3 1 P atented May 23, 1939 GUIDING AND moxmo AUTOMOBILE mama Means FOR as Alfred M. Wright, Oakland, Calif.

inventionrelates broadly to improvements ingui ding and backing means for automobile trailers and has particular reference to a novel mechanism that may be attached to the rear l both sides of 0, desiredto reverse and back 1 attached to said vehicle.

r d ly t and one which will hold the trailer in true aligni merit when itis desired to back both vehicles, for

Another object of 20a novel. combined hitch and backing means for 6 3 end of a motor vehicle, either to the rear bumper or any other suitable section thereof to provide j adraft mechanism for the trailer and to also v act as a means to hold the trailer in fixed longitudinal alignment with the vehicle when it is the trailer when e e principal object of the invention is to provide a guiding and backing mechanism for trailers which is positive. in action, which may be attached to any make of motor vehicle,

instanceinparking or garaging the trailer.

the invention is to provide combined power vehicles and trailers and one i that isdurable, is simple to attach for backing purposes, and greatly facilitates the handling ,of said combined vehicles. 5 A further object of the invention is to pro- Jvidea deviceof the character set forth that j employs flexible spring urged connections for the bac ing of the trailer which may be quickly a and easily disconnected from the draft vehicle when; not in use.

Astill further object ofthe invention is to provide means; of this character that will automatically be retracted below the frame of the trailer, and into tubular members positioned the trailer frame.

. Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the following description. i In the accompanying drawings forming a part of H hisspecification and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout I the same,

j i Fig. llis a plan view showing a. draft vehicle connected to a trailer chassis or frame and illustra ting the preferred form of. my guiding and 3 baclkinggrhechanism, the same being shown in Qcperative position for backing the trailer;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the combined vefhicles further illustrating the connecting mechy anis m; i

Fig. 3, is an enlarged plan view of thetrailer frame and connectingmechanism with the draft vehicle omitted;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan View,

; draft vehicle and j tangent.

Application :March 22, 1937, Serial No. 132,414 1 Claim. (Cl. 280-335) further illustrating the flexible connections and thetubular guides for the same;

' Fig. 5 is a plan view of the trailer frame with the guiding mechanism retracted as when out of use; and

branching rearwardly and connected to a suitable cross brace P5 of the trailer chassis. The

trailer, of course, may be of any suitable type and may be mounted upon the usual wheels l6, as It is quite obvious that a combined trailer connected to the rear thereof is a very awkward combination to back up for any purpose, as the idler wheels of the trailer will not track in alignment with the draft vehicle wheels, and naturally will run off at a It is, therefore, the purpose of the present invention to, provide means for overshown.

coming this fault, the mechanism of which, while simple in arrangement and combination of parts.

, is positive in its action, may be quickly attached and detached, and will notin any manner affect the operation of the vehicles when travelling along the highway in the usual manner.

For accomplishing the purpose set forth, I provide the trailer frame II with tubular elements l1 having cables or like flexible elements l8 arranged therein and provided with suitable attaching hooks l9 which may be hooked into the bumper supports 20. Attached to the hooks l9, turn buckles 2| may also be provided and also swivel members 22, so that the flexible connections l8 may be properly adjusted. It will further be noted that intermediate sections of said cables are reeved through pulleys 23 carried by a spring member 24 suitably mounted below the trailer chassis by brackets or the like 25, the free ends of said connections I8 being held by eyelets 26 mounted in the frame.

The normal hook-up for backing purposes is shown in Figs. 1 and 3. In Fig. 5 I have illustrated the connections I 8 released and retracted into the tubular members I! for travelling in the usual manner. It is, of course, to be understood that the spring 24 'maintains tension on the and trailer frame in alignment with the vehicle when backing the two vehicles.

In Fig. 6 a slightly modified form of spring arrangement is illustrated in which two opposed springs 21 have been shownconnected to a bar 28, which bar may be a part of the chassis frame ll of the trailer.

It is, therefore, obvious that a trailer mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention may be readily backed and easily and expeditiously handled through the medium of the flexible connections, the spring element and the connecting hooks IQ of the device, and when the trailer is properly backed to position, these connections will immediately be retracted when the hooks are released;

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes relative to the material,

size, shape and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my inventiom: I claim:

Means for maintaining in alignment and guiding a trailer chassis relative to a draft vehicle when being backed comprising a transversely arranged spring equalizing and retracting member carried by the trailer chassis, spaced flexible connections having sections. thereof associated with said equalizing member and certain ends thereof connected to the draft vehicle, thereby producing an equalized pull on thetrailer chassis to guide the same rearwardly and to track directly behind the draft vehicle, and tubular guide members arranged on opposite sides of said trailer chassis and capable of retaining said flexible connections in spaced relation.

ALFRED M. WRIGHT. 

